The English language offers a rich tapestry of words to describe our experiences, and 'burdensome' is one such adjective that paints a vivid picture of difficulty and weight. At its core, 'burdensome' describes something that is challenging to carry out or deal with, often because it demands a significant investment of effort, time, or money. It's a word that resonates with the feeling of being weighed down, whether by physical tasks, responsibilities, or even abstract concepts like regulations or expectations.
§ What Does 'Burdensome' Mean?
- Definition
- Describes something that is difficult to carry out or deal with because it requires a lot of effort, time, or money. It is often used to characterize tasks, responsibilities, or regulations that feel like a heavy weight or cause significant stress.
Imagine a heavy backpack filled with rocks; carrying it is a burdensome task. Similarly, 'burdensome' can be applied to non-physical aspects of life. For instance, a complex set of tax regulations can be described as burdensome because they require a lot of time and effort to understand and comply with. A job with excessive responsibilities and long hours can feel burdensome, leading to stress and burnout. The key takeaway is that 'burdensome' implies a sense of difficulty and often, a negative impact on the person or entity bearing the burden.
§ When Do People Use 'Burdensome'?
People use 'burdensome' in a variety of contexts to express the difficulty or oppressiveness of a situation. Here are some common scenarios:
- Tasks and Chores: When a task is particularly difficult, time-consuming, or unpleasant, it can be called burdensome.
The endless paperwork made the application process feel incredibly burdensome.
- Responsibilities: Heavy responsibilities, whether personal or professional, can often be described as burdensome.
The care of her elderly parents became a burdensome duty, though she loved them dearly.
- Regulations and Laws: Governments and organizations often implement rules that, while well-intentioned, can be seen as burdensome by those who have to comply with them.
Small businesses often complain about the burdensome regulations imposed by the state.
- Financial Obligations: Significant financial commitments, such as large debts or high taxes, can be burdensome.
The mortgage payments proved to be quite burdensome during the economic downturn.
- Emotional or Psychological States: While less common, the word can also describe emotional states that feel heavy or oppressive.
The constant worry about her son's health became increasingly burdensome.
The use of 'burdensome' often carries a tone of complaint or difficulty. When someone describes something as burdensome, they are typically expressing a negative sentiment about the effort, time, or resources required. It implies a desire for the situation to be lighter, easier, or less demanding. Understanding this nuance is crucial for both native speakers and those learning English, as it helps to grasp the emotional weight and implications of the word in conversation and writing.
§ Understanding 'Burdensome'
- Word
- burdensome
- Part of Speech
- Adjective
- CEFR Level
- B2
- Definition
- Describes something that is difficult to carry out or deal with because it requires a lot of effort, time, or money. It is often used to characterize tasks, responsibilities, or regulations that feel like a heavy weight or cause significant stress.
§ How to Use 'Burdensome' in a Sentence
As an adjective, 'burdensome' primarily modifies nouns, describing the nature of a task, responsibility, regulation, or even an object. It indicates that something is causing difficulty, stress, or a heavy load. It can be placed directly before the noun it modifies or used as a predicate adjective after a linking verb (e.g., 'is,' 'seems,' 'feels').
§ Common Grammatical Structures
- 'Burdensome' + Noun: This is the most straightforward usage.
The new tax regulations are proving to be quite burdensome for small businesses.
She found the administrative tasks to be a burdensome part of her job.
- Linking Verb + 'Burdensome': Used to describe the state or nature of a subject.
The responsibility of caring for her elderly parents became increasingly burdensome.
Without proper support, managing the project alone would be truly burdensome.
§ Prepositions Commonly Used with 'Burdensome'
While 'burdensome' itself doesn't directly take a specific preposition, it often appears in phrases where other elements introduce prepositions. Here are some common contexts:
- 'Burdensome for [someone/something]': This indicates who or what is experiencing the burden.
The strict reporting requirements were burdensome for all departments involved.
Finding childcare can be incredibly burdensome for single parents.
- 'Burdensome to [someone/something]': Similar to 'for,' indicating the recipient of the burden.
The constant travel proved burdensome to his health.
Such a large mortgage payment would be burdensome to their monthly budget.
§ Nuances and Context
'Burdensome' implies a significant degree of difficulty or weight. It's stronger than simply 'difficult' or 'challenging.' It often carries a connotation of something being an impediment or a drain on resources (time, energy, money). Consider these aspects when choosing to use it:
- Scale of Difficulty: Use 'burdensome' for tasks that are not just hard, but feel like a heavy load.
- Impact: It highlights the negative impact something has on an individual or entity.
- Formal vs. Informal: While suitable for everyday conversation, 'burdensome' leans towards slightly more formal usage compared to simpler synonyms like 'tough' or 'hard.'
§ Examples in Varied Contexts
Let's look at more examples to solidify understanding:
- Work/Professional Context:
The company's outdated software made many routine processes extremely burdensome.
Delegating some responsibilities helped to alleviate the burdensome workload.
- Personal/Life Context:
The emotional toll of the prolonged legal battle was incredibly burdensome on the family.
She felt that constantly hiding her true feelings was a burdensome secret.
- Government/Societal Context:
Many citizens believe that the new bureaucratic procedures are unnecessarily burdensome.
The strict environmental regulations, while well-intentioned, proved financially burdensome for some industries.
Test Yourself 36 questions
What is heavy?
What takes a long time?
How is the job?
Read this aloud:
I carry a bag.
Focus: carry
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
Work is hard.
Focus: hard
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
My lesson is long.
Focus: long
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Which word means something is hard to do?
Burdensome means difficult and needing a lot of effort or time.
Cleaning my whole house feels very ____.
If cleaning your house feels like a lot of work, it is burdensome.
Which task would likely be described as burdensome?
Carrying a very heavy box up stairs requires a lot of effort and is difficult, making it burdensome.
A small, light backpack is usually burdensome.
A small, light backpack is not difficult to carry, so it's not burdensome.
Having many difficult chores can feel burdensome.
Yes, many difficult chores can feel like a heavy weight and require a lot of effort, making them burdensome.
A fun and easy game is burdensome.
A fun and easy game is the opposite of burdensome because it does not require a lot of difficult effort.
Think about what 'burdensome' means in terms of weight.
Consider 'burdensome' in the context of school tasks.
How does 'burdensome' relate to money here?
Read this aloud:
The bag was burdensome because it was full of rocks.
Focus: burdensome
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
Sometimes, too many chores can be burdensome.
Focus: chores
You said:
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Read this aloud:
The new rules felt very burdensome for the small shop.
Focus: rules
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
The new rules for reporting expenses have become quite ___ for small businesses.
Burdensome means difficult to carry out or deal with, which fits the context of new rules for small businesses.
Caring for an elderly relative can be a loving but sometimes ___ responsibility.
Caring for an elderly relative, while loving, can be difficult and require a lot of effort, making 'burdensome' the best fit.
The amount of paperwork required for the loan application felt very ___.
A lot of paperwork suggests something that requires much effort and feels like a heavy weight, fitting the definition of 'burdensome'.
She found the daily commute to be incredibly ___, taking up too much of her time and energy.
A commute that takes too much time and energy is difficult and causes stress, making 'burdensome' the correct choice.
Many students find that managing their studies and a part-time job can be quite ___.
Managing both studies and a job often requires a lot of effort and can be difficult, thus 'burdensome' is appropriate.
The constant maintenance of the old house proved to be a ___ task for the new owners.
Constant maintenance implies a lot of effort and difficulty, which aligns with the meaning of 'burdensome'.
The word describes something difficult or heavy.
Think about a task that requires a lot of effort.
Consider something that causes stress or feels like a weight.
Read this aloud:
The old system was burdensome for everyone involved.
Focus: /ˈbɜːrdənsəm/
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
He felt that the responsibilities were becoming too burdensome.
Focus: /rɪˌspɑːnsəˈbɪlətiz/
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
Is this new project going to be burdensome for our team?
Focus: /ˈprɒdʒekt/
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
This sentence structure correctly places 'burdensome' as an adjective modifying 'task' within the context of increasing difficulty for businesses.
This arrangement logically conveys that high expectations, especially under constant observation, can feel like a heavy, difficult burden.
This sentence correctly uses 'burdensome' to describe the extensive paperwork, indicating it was difficult and demanding to complete.
/ 36 correct
Perfect score!
Example
Carrying all those heavy grocery bags up five flights of stairs felt burdensome.
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abcarndom
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abcenthood
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abcitless
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abcognacy
C1The state of being unaware or lacking knowledge about a specific subject, situation, or fact. It describes a condition of non-recognition or a gap in cognitive awareness, often used in technical or specialized academic contexts.
abdocion
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abdocly
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aberration
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abfacible
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abfactency
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